To the Bone! The primitive Rendezvous 2014

[Wannabe1]

Man this has been one awesome thread! Really appreciate you guys taking us along on your talents.  

[Sockrsblur]

Halfseminole if you want some bark to work with PM me and ill get some to you. It's cleaned, scrapped and flattened.
Thanks for the nice comments guys, I'm excited for the hunting to begin, to share our stories here.
David we need to make bows for next year... it's really on my mind, I wanna learn!

[Knawbone]

Jim, Not a problem buddy, I can teach you everything I know about making bows in about 15 minutes. No, seriously though, that would be cool if we could get together this winter and project on a couple of bows. You would have no problem with your obvious skill set. There is a learning curve for sure, but if you go slow and ask people like Pat B. then not a problem.

 What kind of wood? I assume you are talking selfbow?

[Jerry Jeffer]

Super cool work going on there. Can't wait to see what you put on the ground with that gear.

[Sockrsblur]

Yes selfbows. I would love osage but have none available to me in the wild, feel I should break some free stuff before paying $100 for a stave. I've been cutting potential staves for 3 yrs and they mostly twist into fire wood. I do have some oak and ash that I think are useable, this year I tried to cut more HHB we will see what it does while drying.
If I able to even make the roughest of bows that was huntable for one season I would be thrilled... I just want a start down the rabbit hole lol

[Sockrsblur]

Regression to shaft 10...

When I pulled the cherry bark out of the box in the shop there was a piece of birch bark in there too, it's been sitting on the table with the cherry. I have one wild rose shoot that is entirely covered in dark bark simply because it needed no spine or weight reduction from the first checks. I thought on that dark shaft the white birch would accent the white bone head if I could apply it similar to the cherry.
 

It proved to be much harder. The wanted whitest of the bark is the outer most layer which is thinner than tissue in nature. As you wrap around the shaft it lifts off often as you progress revealing a tan colored bark below. Care must be taken to reattach the delicate wispy pieces in their place.

 

[Sockrsblur]

   

Still need to be sealed and a couple short sinew lashings added, a bark wrap will be added to the knock end of the feathers too...

 

[fmscan]

You guys are hardcore and I admire your work, to get a deer with this equipment is going to be very rewarding.

[Knawbone]

If we can fmscan, if we can!!! We sure will try!!!
   We will be hunting from the ground only and need to get close.... needless to say. A very challenging way to hunt deer for sure. Thank you to you and everyone for the nice comments.    

[Sockrsblur]

The first shots flew straight and drove deep...
     

I've been so eager to post the photos of arrows I've finished I never really talked about them flying through the air. I was eager to test them out.

     

I've admitted to having to much love for the oversized feathers, I shot them like that and they sounded noisy so I burned them.

     
There is still a lot more surface area there per feather than my 5" true flight shield cut provides!
Checking with the string I sanded the knocks a little more for a good release too...

Awww the smells of archery...
 

[Sockrsblur]

[Sockrsblur]

The bow is a 64" sinew backed yew 60# @27" the handle is straight like you see on many Hill bows. The first arrow flew great, straight, quiet, and at 730 grains finished wt it hits really hard! I had twisted a new B50 string for it and put big wool silencers on it but was still surprised how quiet it was and no hand shock to speak of.

Shooting a self bow with no rest, no dished curvy contoured grip is different.I placed some sticky backed thin fleece like material where the arrow would lay on the riser of the bow. Then drew a black line across the fleece where the arrow should lay and pass according to my knock placement.

My first shots were high left consistently and I thought well I just have to adjust my site picture. Then after shooting a bit I saw wear on the fleece well above the line so I lowered my hand, arrow shot through the line and was no longer high...hmmm

[Sockrsblur]

The bow is a beautiful chunk of wood convinced to bend just right, I like how simplistic and primitive it is. I like shooting off my hand, I love my arrows! Like all relationships we need to invest some time together...

 

[halfseminole]

I'm shooting with a horn composite bow, but the shooting feel and hand placement deal is the same.  I should get some pictures of the bow, it's quite a piece of engineering.  It's nice shooting off your hand, the feel of fletching cutting through the back of your hand...

[Thumper Dunker]

Real cool stuff.  

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Jim

this is with out a doubt in my mind the most interesting thread I have ever seen on TG.

Thank you . Wow~

[KyRidgeRunner]

Just read this whole thread start to finish and I'm amazed!  Awesome work!  I appreciate you sharing this with us!

[Sockrsblur]

Thanks for the nice comments guys, much appreciated! Progression takes us all in slightly different directions and I'm greatful to this site to be able to follow and read about many different interests and people. In the past 3 years I've learned to do many things I would have marveled at previously and there is more to come.  I figured the more primitive side would appeal to less members but its fun to try new things and fun to hunt with friends sleeping in a T-Wam as a base camp            

The ground hunting starts here Oct 1st in NY. After all the thoughtful attention and care given to each shaft how will it feel, after waiting for the perfect moment, drawing that shaft slow and steady back over my nuckle till the turkey feathers wisp gently against my nose... Hand relaxes on the string... Feathers go freely through the air... That breathless moment, suspended in time, full of hope, wonder and anticipation ...

As I held my coffee and an arrow this morning before work... I was wondering...
   

[cahaba]

Beautiful work. IMO primitive archery is the ultimate journey in archery with all the hands on work that goes into making equipment. I would like to venture into it one day. Excellent work guys.

[Sockrsblur]

Gerald how is that bow build coming along? Any updates.